Hong Kong is a city with almost 7.5 million people living there, and there is no place for new flats. As a result, flats called the “coffin cubicles” resembling coffins have started to appear. The United Nations has condemned this way of living as an insult to human dignity, but according to the Society for Community Organisation, it is currently the only alternative of housing for nearly 200,000 people. The flats are mostly divided into spaces with an area covering 1.5 to 12 sq. m.
Benny Lam, who photographed these places, said in an interview for National Geographic that the living conditions of the people had him crying when he got back home. His series called “Trapped” tries to draw attention to the poor housing situation, which is far from the charming face of Hong Kong known to its visitors and tourists.
You may wonder why you should be interested in it since you do not know these people at all, they are not part of your life. However, that is not true. If you visit Hong Kong, you can meet them. It may be a waiter serving you at a restaurant, a policeman in the mall, or a messenger you meet on the street.
Photo credit: Benny Lam – prixpictet.com/portfolios/space-shortlist/benny-lam/
